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Body Believed to Be Missing Teen Grace Keeling Found on Beach

Published 16 January 2026

A body believed to be that of missing teenager Grace Keeling was discovered among rocks on a beach near Withernsea, East Yorkshire, on Thursday morning, more than two weeks after she was swept out to sea in stormy conditions. The 15-year-old from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, vanished on January 2 while standing on steps near the water with a friend, prompting a desperate rescue attempt that claimed the lives of her mother and a passerby.

The incident unfolded just after 3 p.m. on that Friday afternoon, when a large wave pulled Grace into the turbulent sea. Her mother, Sarah Keeling, 45, immediately entered the water to save her daughter. Mark Ratcliffe, 67, a local resident, followed suit in an effort to assist, along with three other members of the public. While two of the rescuers managed to reach safety, Sarah and Mark could not. Mark was pulled from the water unconscious and pronounced dead at the scene. Sarah's body was recovered by the Coastguard later that evening.

Humberside Police launched an extensive multi-agency search for Grace, involving the Coastguard, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, and Yorkshire Ambulance Service....

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